Detroit Metro announces rise in convention bookings

Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB), the only organization that promotes metro Detroit regionally, nationally and internationally as a convention, business meeting and tourism destination, announced a rise in convention bookings and hotel room nights in Metro Detroit.
“The hospitality industry has gone through much adversity over the past few years, but we’ve made the turn. Through an economic downturn and serious financial issues in our core city, we’ve turned adversity into opportunity,” said Larry Alexander, president and CEO, DMCVB.

The Bureau has confirmed 236,000 room nights for 2014 compared to 129,000 in all of 2013. Metro Detroit will host 12 multiple hotel meetings in 2014, which is more than double of what was hosted in 2013.

Setting an all-time record in 2013, Metro had the most rooms occupied in regional history. Approximately 165,000 room nights have been booked for 2015 with another 258,000 in different stages of the bid process. The booking pace is ahead for 2014 through 2018.

“The rise in bookings is attributed in part to the expansion underway at Cobo Center and new investment from the private sector, which is transforming Detroit into a vibrant city center with considerable appeal to meeting planners,” said Alexander.

DMCVB’s marketing campaign has had its part in impacting the industry’s people positively.

“The DMCVB’s marketing campaign themed ‘America’s Great Comeback City,’ that tells the story of new development in the region, has resonated with planners and visitors,” said Alexander.

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is an important convention for Detroit’s message bringing its annual convention to town in August 2015, the summer following completion of the Cobo work.

“It’s the Super Bowl of the tradeshow industry, and it will bring 6,000 meeting planners and other attendees here for four days. What a way to be able to put on a great show and change the perception of a destination,” said Bill Bohde, senior vice president of sales and marketing, MDCVB.

Upcoming major conventions booked by the DMCVB sales team include Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses International District Assembly on Jun. 6-8 and Jul. 24-27 with 60,000 room nights and 90,000 total attendance this year; and USA Volleyball Open National Championships to be held May 18-27, 2015, with14,000 room nights and 10,000 in total attendance, along with many others for the future years.